


I'm Coming Home (To You)

by spikey_thespians



Category: Glee
Genre: Glee Season/Series 04, M/M, Multi, Not Blaine or Klaine Friendly, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-12-09 10:10:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20993090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spikey_thespians/pseuds/spikey_thespians
Summary: Kurt looked over at the table he and Blaine used to frequent, where a Dalton boy now sat. He couldn't recognise him from behind, but he was probably a Sophomore or perhaps a Freshman, anyway. It was weird, seeing someone else at the table. Kurt hoped the boy would make as many memories there as he himself did.Then the boy turned around."Sebastian."





	1. Glee-Union

**Author's Note:**

> I'm from England, so I'm not really familiar with the American grade system and what-not, so please forgive me if I accidentally mix it up ;)
> 
> This fic is set during Season 4, Episode 8 - Thanksgiving.

"Kurt Hummel's back in McKinley." Kurt whispered excitedly, grasping the handle of his suitcase tighter now. He was stood outside the glass doors to William McKinley High School, trembling with cold and anticipation. Through the glass door, he spotted his locker, which now served as a tribute to the 2012 class of McKinley and, more specifically, the Glee Club. He could see the hallway, and recognised every locker he was ever pushed up against. But that was all in the past now. Today was all about the good McKinley had brought him, and seeing his friends for the first time in ages. Minus Rachel, of course.

He thought back to the conversation - if you could call it that - he had had with his stubborn roommate just yesterday whilst they were strolling the streets of New York.

"I mean, we don't _have_ to go, do we? We won't be missing out on much, you know, since we're not in high school anymore." (Kurt rolled his eyes at this.) "Besides, Quinn can always email me if anything interesting happens."

"Or use that damn ticket to New York i gave her..." Rachel added under her breath, a far off look clouding her eyes. Longing, maybe? But the moment and the look both passed almost as quickly as they had arrived. She visibly shook herself and her voice returned to its natural pitch. "We'll be fine here. Just me and my best gay."

Kurt repressed the almost uncontrollable urge to comment on the only _slightly_ offensive comment, and dropped his bitter coffee, from a local café he would never set foot in again, into a nearby bin.

"Yeah, I guess, but I just... I just miss everyone. My Dad, Carole, our friends, Mr Schue, Fi--" Kurt stopped himself, looking apologetically at Rachel, whose eyes were cast downward. "It would be kind of nice to see them. I don't know. We could just go for the weekend..."

Rachel's head snapped up, her lips pulled in a soft, tame smile and her eyes focusing on an invisible point in front of her. Her eyebrows were slightly arched and raised. This was her "Everything's fine and I know what I need to do" face. Now if Kurt thought she was stubborn before, this face told him that she had already made up her mind and that there was no chance of her going back to Lima. Not while Finn was there, anyway.

"I'll stay here. I'll be perfectly fine. We'll probably see them around the New Year or something. Someone needs to take care of Brody." She laughed, but her heart obviously wasn't in it. "You go."

"Rachel, I'm--"

"Kurt, look at me." They stopped in the middle of the pathway, and Rachel spun him around and pulled him toward her so that they were facing each other head-on. She took his gloved hands in her own and looked up to face him. "You go. You're homesick, you miss your friends and family. It's fine. I'll be fine. Me and Brody will keep each other company." At this, Kurt pulled a face, but Rachel ignored him. "We'll book the next flight later, 'kay?"

"Okay. Thank you."

And so they did, and Kurt was back in Lima at last. Home.

_Here goes nothing._

He pulled open one of the glass doors and entered, immediately catching a whiff of tater tots emerging from the cafeteria. He smiled, wondering whether Mercedes was here yet and if she had smelt the tots. Maybe I should have told the New Directions I was coming, he thought, as he lugged his suitcase through the empty and almost eerily quiet hallways of his former school.

Nostalgia hit him like a truck as he passed his old French classroom, where he had been called outside when he learned his father had had a heart attack. He smiled sadly as he strode past the lockers he collapsed against and cried against just before he was coronated as Prom Queen the year before last. He laughed as he peered into his old English room, where he was introduced to the weird yet wonderful Holly Holliday and her "Conjunction Junction" song. Admittedly, his head began to hurt when he passed the choir room; so much had happened there, but Kurt remembered it all. And that was a lot to remember. 

Overwhelmed at the amount of memories swarming into his head all at once, he continued on his path to find his friends. There was not a single doubt in Kurt's mind surrounding the question of where they were.

Vivid memories of Kurt's first triumphant return to McKinley after his brief time at Dalton swelled deep within. His reunion with the New Directions, his goodbye from the Warblers, his parting with Blaine.

_Blaine._

The thought of running into him was enough to make Kurt want to turn around, call a cab and hop back on that plane to New York. What would he say? Would Blaine try and apologise again? Kurt didn't know how he would cope if his ex tried to justify his actions with another excuse.

'This is my day,' he thought to himself as he turned one of the many corners of the McKinley halls. 'I was here before Blaine. I should be able to come here whenever I want.'

As he turned another corner, he heard a faint sound emitting from the direction of the auditorium. _All roads lead back to here,_ he remembered Rachel truthfully saying. He walked closer, his suitcase trailing behind him, and identified the sounds coming from the auditorium as a song.

_Trust the New Directions to start off a reunion with a song,_ he smirked, excitement bubbling in his chest. All feelings of nervousness and fear of an encounter with Blaine were gone, replaced with a warm, fuzzy feeling. His friends, his _real_ friends, were in that auditorium, and Kurt could hardly wait to see them again.

_And every stranger's face I see _

_Reminds me that I long to be_

Mercedes and Santana harmonised the lyrics to Homeward Bound, a Simon & Garfunkel classic. But then the chorus slipped into something different.

_The trouble it might drag you down _

_ If you get lost, you can always be found_

Ah, Home. Finn's voice rose above everyone else's at this point, announcing his entrance. Kurt jogged the last few steps before he reached the right doorway of the auditorium. So as not to spoil the surprise of his arrival just yet, he stuck only his head round the door. There they were. Puck, Quinn, Finn, Santana, Mike, Mercedes. All standing on the stage together, singing their hearts out, smiling as if they had won Nationals all over again. What Kurt wouldn't give for every day to feel like this.

Finally, he dropped the handle of his suitcase and walked slowly into the hall, joining in with the harmonies.

_Settle down, it will all be clear_

His voice rang clear and bright over the others'. Kurt made his way down the stairs, toward the small group of friends who turned their heads in surprise. 

Mercedes' eyes widened and she beamed, tears stinging her eyes. Kurt was sure Puck was already crying, so it was no surprise that when he saw Kurt, he turned away to hide the tears now streaming freely down his cheeks. Mike stretched his arms out, beckoning Kurt to join then on stage. Santana and Quinn, both grinning, rushed forward to link arms with Kurt on the stairs. Finn was smiling from ear to ear, looking as if he were on the verge of tears. Kurt couldn't help but notice the smallest hint of disappointment flash in Finn's eyes at the absence of Rachel, but was quickly replaced by the same elation and sheer happiness he was feeling not a moment before.

As he reached the edge of the stage with the girls, he was immediately greeted by a spine-crushing hug from Puck, followed by Finn, then Mercedes. When they had all pulled away, the group formed a line, arms linked and grins bared.

_Know you're not alone_

Mercedes sung the final line, while everyone harmonised next to her. For once, Kurt was glad he wasn't singing lead, for two reasons. First, his girl Mercedes deserved the spotlight for once in her life. Second, he was sure his voice would have cracked from trying to not to cry mid-song. The song ended, and the group stood there in silence, just enjoying each other's company after many long Glee-less months. Finn went to speak, probably to give one of his Mr-Schue-inspired pep talks, but was interrupted by Puck.

"Don't, man. I've cried enough tears today to last a whole damn lifetime. You are not starting me up again."

Finn closed his mouth and held up his hands in mock surrender, as the comfortable silence was broken with laughter and murmurs of agreement. Mercedes started the exchange of "I missed you guys so much"-es, and the line formed a circle, arms still linked. 

"Hey, how about we all meet up at Breadstix later? I'm sure we all have people to see, things to do," Quinn proposed. "I don't know about you guys, but I have to go see my mom."

"Quinn's right. I have people to do and things to see, or whatever you said." Puck grinned as Quinn slapped his arm and Mercedes made a sound of disgust".

"Yeah, I still need to see my dad. He doesn't even know I'm here yet. He's gonna be pretty surprised." Kurt laughed, hoping his dad was okay and that nothing bad had happened to him while he was away.

Finn obviously noticed the worried look on Kurt's face. He took the arm linked with Santana's and Puck's away to wrap a reassuring arm around Kurt's shoulders. 

"Don't worry, little brother. Burt and Carole are fine. I've been checking up on them.""Thanks, Finn." Kurt replied with a grateful smile. God, how he missed his brother.

"Well I better be going. Auntie Snixx needs to get ready. She also needs to check whether the lesbian blogger community has any updates on Britt. See y'all at 5." Santana walked off, hand raised in goodbye.

The remainders exchanged a few more individual hugs, before saying their goodbyes and heading off in their own directions. 

Kurt took the stairs two at a time, still buzzing with excitement. He created a mini agenda of things he needed to do today in his head:

  * See his friends. Check.  

  * Sing with his friends. Check.  

  * See his Dad.  

  * Get coffee from the Lima Bean.  

  * Avoid Blaine at all costs.  

  * Call Rachel.

Grabbing his suitcase, Kurt walked back past his French classroom, back past his locker, but stopped at the choir room. It was empty now, since everyone was in lessons, but full of memories and heartbreaks and Nationals wins in Kurt's mind. Tears pricked his eyes as he remembered the tragedies they had experienced together in that room. His lips pulled upwards as he remembered the good times and the solos and the joys. 

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sound of Britney and Madonna's "Me Against The Music" telling him someone was calling. He fished his phone out of the front pocket of his suitcase and pressed accept on the call.

"Hey Dad!"

Hey, kiddo." Even after his son had flown the nest all the way to NYC, Burt Hummel secretly vowed to call Kurt at least once a day and greet him as 'kiddo'. "Where are you? I don't hear any sirens or the sound of Rachel screeching in the shower."

"I'm at the library in NYADA, catching up on a bit of school work. Rachel has Brody over again and, you know..." He lied as he walked past the McKinley library. Lying to his father was second nature; he had kept the secret of his sexuality for a while (even though it was apparently very obvious). Say want you want about him, but Kurt Hummel was an Oscar-worthy actor when he wanted to be. Plus, it was an appropriate response; there was many a time where he had moved to the library to escape Rachel and Brody's lovy-dovey antics. And that is coming from Mr "Relations with Taylor Lautner in a field of lilacs" Romantic.

"Alright, kid. Take care of yourself. I'll see you later." Burt always ended with "see you later", like it was a promise. One that Kurt had to keep, and would act on today.

"You too, Dad. See you later." Kurt couldn't fight the smile growing on his lips when he thought about how he was really going to see his dad later.

But he kind of really needed a Grande Non-Fat Mocha round about now.


	2. Back at the Bean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's only right that Kurt should meet Sebastian at the Lima Bean.

The familiar, inviting aroma and feel of coffee and heat wafted through the open doors of the Lima Bean as Kurt stepped in line at the counter. He was immediately greeted with a warm, weclome feeling. Some things never change.

Like the popularity, or the customers, for that matter. The coffee shop, one of the few left in Lima, was packed with people waiting in line, and a few familiar faces seated at full tables. Kurt wouldn't be staying though, so he wasn't worried about finding a table. The line gradually inched forward, and after a minute or two, it was finally Kurt's turn to order.

"A Grande Non-Fat Mocha, please."

"Sure thing. One sec."

The young man behind the counter turned around, and Kurt looked over his shoulder to examine the place. As he said, some things never change. The decor was all the same, the arrangement of sugar packs at the tables were the same, and the placing of the tables themselves, too. 

Kurt looked over at the table he and Blaine used to frequent, where a Dalton boy now sat. A sudden feeling of emptiness settled in his stomach as he reminisced over all the memories (good and bad) he had made on that table _alone_. He couldn't recognise the boy from where he was standing from behind, but assumed he was probably a Sophomore or a Freshman. It was weird, he admitted, to see someone else at the table. Kurt hoped the boy would make as many memories there as he himself did. 

Then the boy turned around. 

"Sebastian." 

Kurt's voice rose an octave or two, much to his annoyance. _Of course he would be here._ He gritted his teeth and swallowed, looking straight past Sebastian as if he wasnt there.

The last thing he wanted right now was for Sebastian to see him crack. Hell, the last thing he wanted right now was to see Sebastian. He had _dreamed_ of the final showdown with his former foe again; Kurt would shamelessly gloat about his success in the world of theatre, and when Sebastian caved and fell to his knees, begging for a job as his servant or cook or something, he would simply turn him away with a flick of his hand. But no. He quickly turned back to the counter, staring holes into the back of the batista's (still with his back turned) head, willing himself to disappear, or spontaneously combust. Or both, that would work. But Sebastian was out of his seat now, hands in pockets, looking right at Kurt. _Too late._

Kurt sighed and turned to fix his eyes on the boy, twisting his expression into what he hoped was a face portraying every ounce of the annoyance and agitation he felt right now.

Sebastian locked eyes with Kurt, all traces of hostilty (suprisingly) absent. His mouth was also doing something completely unfamiliar to Kurt. Was he... _smiling? _Like, in a friendly way? Kurt looked him over. Nothing had changed there. To Kurt, Sebastian would always and forever be the annoying Dalton boy with a meerkat face and one button done up on his blazer. He recognised those painfully striking green eyes and the playful, "innocent", teasing smile on his lips he had last seen a year ago.

But the biggest difference was his hair. His gelled hair. His gelled back, Blaine Anderson-style hair. Now what in gay hell had possessed him to do that?

Kurt looked away, blushing slightly when Sebastian's smile somehow grew into an even bigger smirk at the obvious attention he was getting. He raised a questioning eyebrow, looking like the living embodiment of the question (and annoyingly overused cliché) 'Like what you see?'. But clichés were good, sometimes, right? Shaking his head and returning back to reality, he turned back to the bored man at the counter, payed the amount due and took his coffee.

"Well, well, well. Kurt Hummel, as I live and breathe. What are you doing back here in humble Lima, Ohio so soon? Had enough of New York yet?" 

Sebastian walked back to his (_Kurt's_) table, for some reason expecting Kurt to follow, as if Kurt was born to do everything he "expected". Kurt figured it would be rude not to, and took his coffee and his suitcase to the table, where Sebastian's schoolwork was set out everywhere. 

Before Kurt has a chance to answer, Sebastian spoke again.

"I didn't expect to see you back for Thanksgiving. I thought you and Miss Barbra Try-Hard would be staying in the Big Apple. Speaking of, where is she? And that little hobbit you keep oh-so close to you?"

He looked around, probably expecting them to jump out from behind a pillar and break out into song. Kurt's mind buzzed with a million insults, quips and teases. He would gave started with a teasing little "Aw, have you been thinking about me?" had Sebastian not said that last thing.

_And that little hobbit you keep oh-so close to you?_

What on Earth did that even mean? Did Sebastian actually not know about the breakup? Sure, he and Blaine weren't at Dalton together anymore, but did Blaine not text Sebastian or the Warblers afterwards? Did they not say rude things about him behind his back? Unless the stupid meerkat was teasing him. Maybe he was right; some things don't change at all. 

"Rachel's in New York. I'll tell her you said hi." He pasted a very sarcastic smile on his face, adding a tilt of his head for emphasis. "And I actually have family here that I love very much, but I'm sure that's hard for you to understand, you know, since you know nothing about _actual_ love that lasts longer than 20 minutes."

The smirk faded slightly and Sebastian raised his eyebrows, stunned and shocked, but still smiling. He recoiled, pulling his head back and raising his hands in surrender.

"Okay, wow. You were there when I apologised for all the stuff I pulled last year. After the... incident," A flash of guilt passed through his eyes. What happened with Karofsky was still a sore spot for both of them. "I promised to be a better person, and I am trying."

"Well maybe I'm not as gullible as you think I am."

"What do you want from me? I've worked _hard _to try and make things better. I know I can't undo what I've done but I have improved and I have tried to make amends. You can go and ask that boyfriend of yours, if you want. I didn't try it with him _once_ when you were away, and God or Satan or whoever knows I've had more than enough chances."

The banter and teasing had subsided. Sebastian had taken on a defensive tone, as if he cared about what Kurt thought of him. But Kurt was too occupied with something else to notice or care about that. He played idly with the rim of his coffee cup, wondering whether or not Sebastian knew. At last, he decided to just come out and tell him; he really didn't need Sebastian spoiling Thanksgiving with his snarky, humiliating comments. He looked down at his coffee.

"Blaine and I aren't together anymore."

Kurt steeled himself for the remarks, the accusations, the questions of why and how he could ever let someone like Blaine go. After all, that had been the reaction of everyone around him, including his best friend and his own father. Everyone who knew about the breakup immediately assumed it was Kurt's fault for letting go of someone as perfect as Blaine. What reason would Kurt have to expect anything less from Sebastian Smythe?

"What happened?"

Okay, so that was new. 

No accusation, mockery or even a hint of surprise in his voice. Kurt slowly lifted his suddenly heavy head to ask Sebastian if he was joking or not. Instead, he found himself staring into Sebastian's honest eyes. The boy in front of him looked genuinely curious, as if he didn't even expect the fever dream that was Klaine to last anyway. On literally any other day at any other time, Kurt might have been annoyed by that, especially coming from someone as... _low_ as Sebastian.

It took a long minute before Kurt realised he was staring at Sebastian like an idiot, which was the last thing he wanted Sebastian to think of him as. He murmured a "Huh?" sound and hoped it was loud enough for Sebastian to hear.

"I, uh, asked what happened with you and Blaine? If you want to, ahem, talk about it, of course?" He coughed nervously and looked down, like he was suprised by his sudden curiosity.

Kurt cleared his throat and began telling the full story, _his_ story, for the first time.

"He, um, cheated, actually. I was in New York for not even 2 weeks, and he hooked up with this guy. Wouldn't tell me who. I actually thought it was you for a while," he laughed (well breathed out sharply and awkwardly), but felt guilty as soon as he saw Sebastian's forehead crease and his eyes lift to look at Kurt. 

"But yeah. He came to New York on a suprise visit, a couple weeks earlier than I expected. That whole night, he was acting just super weird and emotional. He finally told me what he did after singing a Katy Perry song at a karaoke bar and even then, I had to get it out of him. He told me he was with someone else, started spilling out excuses, saying it was a mistake, but I was already walking back home by then. He was gone the next day. He didn't apologise or anything. I still don't know who it was with. I'm pretty sure if we had just stayed at home like we originally planned, I would still be with him right now." He raised his coffee to his lips.

"I'm sorry about that. But no." 

Kurt nearly spat his coffee out and looked at his companion, who was studying him now through narrowed eyes. Honestly, he had almost forgotten Sebastian was there. Had Sebastian really let him rant about his ex for the last minute? And he hadn't judged him, unlike almost everyone around him? And he _apologised?_ That was the most honest Kurt had been to anyone in a _long_ time. Everyone else had shut him down, saying he should have cared more about Blaine. Some people even told him that he shouldn't have left Lima and Blaine in the first place.

But what did Sebastian mean by that 'no'? No, as in he didn't believe Kurt? No, as in he and Blaine had indeed been talking and that what Kurt told him wasn't what Blaine told him? No, as in he _was_ the one who hooked up with Blaine? Oh God, what if he was the one who hooked--

"No. You would have sussed him out sooner or later. You're smart, and Blanderson isn't the best actor, as we both know. His performance as Tony in West Side Story last year was mild at best, even Razzie-worthy."

Kurt almost laughed, before remembering that he doesn't like Sebastian and wasn't supposed to be laughing at him. Especially not at crude comments aimed at his ex.

But this small part of Kurt reminded him that Sebastian had already been more supportive than anyone else he had talked to. Rachel was there when they had broken up, for God's sake, and still constantly asked Kurt when he was going to forgive Blaine, as if them getting back together was inevitable. And Kurt couldn't _forgive_ Blaine if he didn't actually _apologise_. Anyway, Sebastian Smythe had actually listened to him and not judged him. The same Sebastian Smythe who, not a year before, tried to steal his boyfriend, blackmailed his step-brother, blinded his boyfriend, etc etc. Kurt could go on. So maybe Kurt was wrong; some things really do change.

He cleared his throat again.

"So what have you been up to? Haven't you been expelled from Dalton yet?"

Sebastian's smirk returned.

"Suprisingly, no. It's only a matter of time, though."

"Mhm, I agree." Maybe that was a bit harsh. Kurt sipped his coffee, and just as he was about to announce his departure, Sebastian sighed.

"You don't believe me."

"I-I'm sorry?"

"That whole time I was talking about how you would have broken up with Blaine sooner or later. That whole time you were looking at me carefully, like you didn't know when to laugh, or like I was going to pounce and announce that I was having a secret affair with Blaine. Which, just a reminder, is something you've admitted you've accused me of. You don't believe that I've changed. You dont trust me yet. I'm trying, Kurt, and I think I have gotten better. So do others, so why is that so hard for you to believe?"

Sebastian's voice took on the defensive, almost exhausted tone again. He was sitting bolt upright in his chair, hands clenched in front of him. To an onlooker, he probably looked like he wanted to punch Kurt. To Kurt, he just looked tired and frustrated, and Kurt didn't blame him. 

Kurt licked his lips and considered the question. Why didn't he believe Sebastian, even after all this time? He had dedicated his whole Regionals set to Karofsky after the incident. He apologised for everything he had done to the New Directions. He had deleted those _disgusting _images of Finn. Evidence of improvement was there, and all that had happened within a week. It's been a year.

Rachel probably would have said it was all about the casting choices he made in the musical of his life. Kurt played the lead, obviously, with Blaine as his soulmate, prince charming and one true love (as she would have put it), leaving Sebastian the role of the villain in Kurt's story. (Rachel had cast herself as the lead's stunning, talented, universally-adored best friend). But Kurt Hummel wasn't Rachel Berry, and thank the spaghetti god above for that.

He put his coffee cup down (he didn't even realise he was holding it) and finally, but very reluctantly, looked at Sebastian. He swallowed, cast his eyes downward and told the truth.

"I don't know. I'm sorry."

"That's not really the answer I expected or deserved, but this is the only time I'll probably ever hear you apologise to me about something, so I'll take it."

"What do you think you deserved?"

"A reminder of how I treated you and your friends. Because, out of all the things I did that year, and I did a lot, I feel bad about what I did to you the most. I targeted you directly and indirectly and it wasn't fair. That's what I deserve. Why should you trust me?"

"Wait, then why did you say all those before??"

"Because I wanted to know where we stand, as former foes and coffee companions. I needed to know what you thought, and I also like confusing you, so there's another reason."

Kurt let himself laugh this time. He shook off (some of) his worries and doubts about Sebastian, and let himself enjoy the moment. After all, he wasn't in the right mindset to have a grown-up, heartfelt conversation with Sebastian just yet. But there was something he did need to say.

"I forgive you..."

Kurt trailed off, knowing what to say next, but he was a sucker for a good dramatic pause. Sebastian's head whipped up so fast, Kurt swore he heard a bone click out of place. The exhaustion and annoyance in his eyes was replaced with something that looked a lot like hope and relief.

"...If you'll forgive me for saying that you smell like Craigslist."

They both laughed real laughs again, all previous tension between them seemingly lost in the past.

"I actually liked that one. As weird as it sounds, I was quite impressed. Honestly, the one that hurt the most was about my 'CW hair'. I put a lot of effort into my hair that day."

"I'm sorry. Your hair was lovely. _There_." Kurt was still laughing, "But with today's hair, I'm not sure I can say the same."

"What do you mean?"

"Your hair now. What the hell happened?"

"You don't like it?"

Sebastian's voice lost a bit of the laughter and light it had before, but not enough for Kurt to realise.

"Too Blaine-y for my taste, personally. But hey, wear that in front of him and you'll have him clawing at your door in no time. You can have him all to yourself now."

Kurt laughed, but Sebastian remained silent. He examined Kurt, and how light his laugh was, and his confidence. None of that had been there when he was around Blaine. Something about that just wasn't right.

"Now what makes you think I was ever into _him_?"

He winked, charming himself out of awkward situations and conversations with feelings involved, as always. Kurt, seemingly oblivious (or just immune to the charm of a Smythe), just raised an eyebrow at the comment. Everything about the Sebastian he was talking to now was different from the Sebastian he knew and hated a year ago.

"You've certainly changed your tune in the last year."

"Well, people change."

He smirked again, and Kurt rolled his eyes before he could stop himself. He smiled affectionately.

"So I've learned."

The two boys sat in silence, sipping their coffees and sneaking glances at each other. When the other looked up at the same time, both looked down and started to fidget with something, like a pen or a zip. Then Sebastian glanced at his watch, and stood up suddenly to pack all of his schoolwork into his bag.

"I have to go. It's a two hour drive to Westerville, and if I don't make it back in time I'll miss Warblers practice."

"Oh okay."

Kurt fought to keep the slight, _very_ small amount of disappointment out of his voice. Sebastian's company had been actually kind of... nice? Though he'd never admit that to Sebastian; sure, they were... whatever they they were now, but Kurt wouldn't hear the end of it if Sebastian knew.

"I have to go see my Dad and Carole, anyway. It was nice to see you again."

So that slipped out. But Sebastian just looked up from the French textbook he was putting in his bag and smiled. Not a cold smile. A nice, friendly, warm smile that was _so _nice that Kurt felt his stomach do a little turn.

"You too."

He finished packing up as Kurt fished out his phone from his suitcase, confirming the time for the Breadstix meet up with Quinn.

"I'll see you later?" Sebastian's voice rose at the end, like he was asking Kurt if he would see him again. If not today, then sometime this week.

"See you later," Kurt repeated, smiling back at Sebastian, who left the table first.

Kurt turned to grab his suitcase and head to his Dad's house, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. It was Sebastian. Kurt glared at the hand on his shoulder, not intrusive or irritating or anything, just... _there._ He decided not to pull it off, but it was gone just as quickly as it had ended up there.

"I forgot to say, um, tell your father I give my best wishes and that I hope he gets better soon. I know it must be really tough, so..." Sebastian bit his lip, waved again and walked out of the Bean, leaving Kurt, clueless and confused, standing in the middle of a café.

Then Sebastian's words caught up with him.

_I hope he gets better soon... I know it must be tough..._

What was his Dad not telling him? What if he had had another heart attack? Was he okay? Why didn't Finn tell him in the auditorium that there was something wrong?

Throwing his coffee in the bin on his way out, Kurt grabbed hold of his suitcase and ran out of the Lima Bean to his car.


	3. Kurt, Burt and Breadstix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt is shocked at what he finds when he returns home.
> 
> Sorry the chapter was a little late this week!

_"Hey, this is Burt Hummel speaking."_

"Dad? Dad!"

_"I'm off somewhere doing something right now, so leave a message or however it works."_

Kurt slammed his phone onto the passenger seat, tears stinging his eyes. What was his Dad doing? What if he was in hospital? 

The very thought of his father back in hospital, confined to a bed and forced to eat that terrible, terrible food made him sick to his stomach. He thought of the 16 missed calls his father had right now. He thought of what he could _possibly_ be doing and where he could _possibly_ be, and his mind always (very unhelpfully) landed back on 'hospital'.

Kurt drove as fast as he could (within the speed limit, of course) to his childhood home. Where his dad was, he told himself. Where he _had_ to be. Questions swirled around in his mind, like a violent tempest, waves on a restless sea. Each one was desperate to escape, desperate to be answered. But his dad won't pick up the damn phone, so Kurt was stuck. Alone, with nothing but the sound of his own ragged, unsteady breath as he tried to calm himself down. 

So much for a peaceful Thanksgiving.

Kurt slammed his foot on the brake harder than expected as the traffic light turned red. How very convenient, he thought to himself, throwing his hands helplessly over the steering wheel. 

He didn't know what to do. He could call the hospital, but God knows how long he would have to hold before getting an answer. He could call Finn, but he was probably in Glee Club right now.

He could call Sebastian. But only when he picked up his phone to go through his contacts did he realise that he didn't actually _have_ Sebastian's number. 

Angry and hopeless (and still waiting at the damn traffic light), Kurt turned on the radio. Then immediately after, he turned it off. He picked up his phone, not knowing why, and put it back down again. He adjusted his rear view mirror, and then readjusted it so it was in its original, perfect position. All this happened a few times, before the light _finally_ turned green. 

More violently then needed or expected, Kurt thrust his foot onto the accelerator and sped down the familiar roads of Lima. He slowed down a little, thinking of how his father would chastise him for his speed and the dangers of going too fast. Every thought of his father made his heart ache.

If he didn't miss him before, he certainly did now. 

Eventually, Kurt turned the corner into his road (well, his old road) and to his house. Sure enough, in the driveway were two cars. Carole's and Burt's.

Which was very suspicious, since Burt always took his car to work on weekends, and let Kurt and Finn use it in the week.

Something wasn't right.

Kurt slowly drove closer to his house, fully aware of the sweat lining his forehead, and the small wet patch on his cheek. On closer inspection, his father's car was parked perfectly as always next to Carole's. Carole's car, however, looked as if she had parked it in a hurry, almost-but-not-quite vertical. 

Kurt slid his own car into a gap beside Carole's and sat back in his seat, waiting. He wasnt sure what he was waiting for. A call from his father, his breathing to slow down, a sign that Sebastian was wrong, maybe. 

After a minute of trying to calm himself down, he wiped his cheek and brow, and opened the car door.

At that exact monent, Carole came barrelling out of the house, clutching an overnight bag in one hand and a photo in the other. Kurt let out a deep, relieved breath and ran forward to hug her. Carole dropped the overnight bag and held her stepson close, stroking his hair and rubbing his back like she was trying to comfort him. 

Thought why, Kurt was unsure. 

He pulled away first and took in the sight that was his stepmum. Her cheeks glistened in the relatively rare warm Ohio sun, and her mascara was slightly smudged. Bags hung under her eyes, which were clearly strained and dark. 

Looking down, Kurt noticed the framed photo she held in her hand. It was three days after the wedding, their first Thanksgiving as a family. Finn and Burt took up the couch of course, watching the football game, while Kurt and Carole sat on the armchairs either side.

Throughout the game, they exchanged eyerolls at the boys' behaviour, until Carole proposed they take the first Hudson-Hummel family photo. The 3 boys agreed, _especially_ Finn, and the 4 of them gathered on the sofa, camera ready to snap the photo at any second. Conveniently, someone scored just as the camera clicked. 

Finn and Burt were out of their seats, cheering and beaming, Carole was clutching her stomach from laughing and smiling up at her boys. Kurt was looking up at his new brother and father with a raised eyebrow and a grin on his face. They kept the photo. 

Kurt would give away his prized collection of neckerchiefs to get back the happiness he felt in that moment. 

"Oh honey," Carole sighed, looking at Kurt and stroking his hair. "God, I've missed you."

"I missed you, too." His voice cracked, and the couldn't bring himself to ask what had happened just yet. He would immediately start crying, and so would Carole, and it would all be a terrible mess. Instead, he looked pointedly down at the overnight bag.

Carole followed his glance and swallowed. She thought back to the promise she had made Burt that he could tell Kurt when he went to visit at Christmas. But Kurt needed to know now.

"Kurt."

He tried to lift his heavy head, and looked at Carole in confusion and fear. Her own voice cracked as she added those terrible, terrible words:

"Your father is in hospital. He... he has prostate cancer." 

Kurt couldn't move. He couldn't breathe, couldn't talk, couldn't feel, couldn't think. The information whirled round and round in his head. And yet nothing seemed real.

_Father... hospital... prostate cancer..._

_Father... hospital... prostate cancer..._

_Father... cancer..._

After what seemed like an eternity, he let out a strangled noise, like a cross between a sob and a "What?".

His head spun, still trying to regain focus and control. But his father had prostate cancer. No words could describe how he felt right now.

He opened and closed his mouth until he found something he could say without breaking down.

"I feel like I'm going to be sick."

His head was still as heavy as a bag of stones, so he made no attempt to lift it and meet Carole's eyes. He could, however, hear her breath coming out in short, uneven gasps and sighs.

There was nothing he could think of to say now, no question to ask. Everything lead back to that same fact that his father had cancer.

All of a sudden, Kurt felt strong arms wrap around him, holding him close again. 

"It's going to be okay. It is."

Somehow, Kurt doubted that.

Eventually, Carole tore away, her tears stains damp on her cheek and her eyes red, and looked at Kurt.

"Would you like to go see him?"

Kurt made a head movement that passed as a nod, as Carole lead him to his car with the overnight bag and photograph.

* * *

In the car, Carole gave Kurt the rundown of everything that had happened, from the check-up that revealed the worst, to the treatment he was now receiving, to why Kurt wasn't informed later. 

"God, I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner. You should have been the first to know." Carole kept repeating, but Kurt shook his head every time. 

They were now sat in the waiting room of the hospital, both silent and clutching the other's hand. Kurt thought of the last time his father was in hospital for a similarly life-threatening situation. He didn't even want to imagine what would have happened if he hadn't come back to Lima today.

After maybe half an hour of waiting, Carole went up to the reception desk (again) to ask if they could see him. Kurt tried and failed to silence the terrible thoughts that were spinning around in his head.

Five minutes later, Carole came back into the seating area to find Kurt out of his seat, arms folded and pacing the floor. He looked up at the sound of Carole's heels coming hIs way.

"They; uh, said he won't be available for another four hours."

Kurt closed his eyes and sighed. 

"Honey, you go to the Glee Club meeting." Carole touched his arm, and Kurt's head snapped up.

"What? No, I have to stay with you, a-and--"

Carole silenced his protests with a shake of her head and hums of disapproval.

"Mm-mm. No. You need a distraction right now, and you need to live your life. I'll be fine. We'll be fine. Plus, you haven't seen your friends properly in a long time and the neeting starts soon."

Kurt checked his phone. It was, indeed, 3:32, meaning he had almost an hour and a half to get ready to see his friends again. Only, he wasn't going. 

"Wait, how did you even know about the meeting?"

"Finn." She shrugged.

"Oh. But it's fine, I'm not going. I'm seeing them tomorrow at McKinley anyway. I need to stay with you and Dad."

"Kurt, I promise I will immediately call you when we're allowed to see him, okay?"

He sighed. He _did_ want to see his friends, but his father was alone in that hospital room, as scared as Kurt and Carole were. His father came before everything and everyone.

"I don't know."

"Go."

She handed him the keys to his car and gave him an encouraging (albeit weak) smile. They exchanged goodbyes and Kurt reluctantly left the hospital. He knew what his father would say if he knew Kurt wanted to stay with him rather than be with his friends. He also knew what he would want his father to do if the roles were reversed.

Kurt got back into his car and headed home, alone.

* * *

The drive home was quiet and lonely. Kurt tried to turn on the radio, but nothing that was on seemed to fit the mood, and only made him more angry with life.

The first thing he needed to do was to drop his suitcase off, so he rushed home.

When he was inside, he ran to his room, which was untouched except for a small pile of clothing layed out on his bed. His departure to New York was a suprisr to everyone (himself included), and he didn't think he would stay as long as he did, so he didn't bring everything with him. Carole had obviously continued to wash and iron his clothes even during his departure.

He sat in his parents' room for a while, moving from the bed to the armchair in the corner. Somehow, he ended up with his chin tucked into his knees by his mother's dresser. The smell of her perfume was still there.

Ding dong!

Kurt ran downstairs, checking the lounge window to see who it was, and opened the door to Finn. He was wearing his guilty look, his mouth all scrunched up to one side and his eyes looking anywhere else. Clearly, he already knew what Kurt was going to say when they next saw each other. 

"Hey little brother."

"Hey Finn." Kurt stepped aside to let Finn in. He was fully aware of how weary his voice sounded. Finn was spared a lecture. For now.

"You doin' okay?" Finn finally looked up at Kurt, who was thinking hard about how to answer that.

'Yeah' was inappropriate and inaccurate. 'No' was just rude, and he didn't want to discuss feelings with _Finn_ of all people right now. Maybe sarcasm was the best way to go. Eventually, Kurt decided against all three routes and shrugged 

"As okay as I can be right now. What about you? He's still your step-father."

"I-I'm fine."

An awkward silence filled the air as both boys stood by the still open door, arms folded. Finn wasn't fine, but Kurt didn't push it. Finally, Kurt sighed and broke the silence, smiling sadly up at Finn.

"Should we leave now, or...?"

Finn shook, like, actually shook, and ran up the stairs (still in his dirty shoes, Kurt noticed) to his room. 30 seconds later, he came back downstairs, clutching an envelope. 

"Uh, yeah. Just needed to get something."

They headed out, locked the door behind them, and got into Finn's car. The car ride was uneventful, mainly just catching up on what's been going on in New York and Lima. 

By the time they reached Breadstix, it was 4:41, and, unsurprisingly, they were the first ones there. They booked the largest table to house the two of them and the group of five that would join them later. The small talk about the weather in New York compared to Lima subsided when Kurt asked the question he had been dying to ask since he found out about his father.

"How bad is it?"

"The weather? Uh, I mean sometimes we get a few sunny days, but you know how it is. Can't always be sure on--"

"No, Finn. Not the weather. His cancer." 

Kurt hoped Finn didn't hear the way his voice caught on "cancer". He still wasn't up for that heart-to-heart. Finn swallowed and looked down at the closed menu in front of him.

"Oh. Oh, that. The doctor said it wasn't caught in it's earliest stage, but that he could still, you know. Live. Which he will."

He added that last sentence in a hurry when he heard the sharp intake of breath from Kurt. The idea that his father wouldn't live and get through it like he does with everything else was unbearable. 

"Okay."

That's all Kurt wanted to know. No more information or shocks or questions; he had had enough for today. And suddenly, Finn was talking once more about McKinley and his new William-Schuester-esque rivalry with Sue. 

"Hey, you guys!"

Mercedes and Mike were the first of the others to arrive, then Puck, then Quinn and Santana (together, of course). They all sat down at the table, greeted each other like old friends, and ordered their food. In no time at all, they were talking like they did in the good 'ol days; like they would see each other in Glee Club tomorrow.

Kurt tried to focus on Puck, who was now telling a story about girls and cups or something. Everyone burst into synchronised laughter while Kurt plastered a convincing smile on his face, hoping it was enough. Finn caught his eye and gave him a sad smile and a thumbs up. 

"Anyway, it's so good to see you all again!" Mercedes took Mike and Puck's hands and squeezed, causing them both to wince slightly. 

"So what about Rachel? She hasn't found anyone, has she?" Puck asked. Finn's head whipped up at the question, and Puck had the courtesy to mutter an apology. Quinn smacked his hand as Santana leant back in be seat, hands held up in a weird gesture of shock, like she couldn't believe Puck asked that. No one could, and the table was silent for a moment. 

"Oh, she said she didn't know what she was doing for the holidays."

Everyone turned to Quinn, who answered the question and was now sipping on a strawberry milkshake. She shrugged, like it was a known fact that she and Rachel were regular pen pals.

"What? She reminds me every other day that I haven't used the ticket she got me to New York yet. We got to talking and she mentioned that she might just stay home for Thanksgiving, but she still didn't know.

Santana opened her mouth to say something, possibly to remind Quinn that it was her that had bought the ticket, nor Rachel. But she closed it again, and no one else seemed to want to bring it up.

"I'm really sorry about what went down between you two," Quinn added quietly, placing her hand over Finn's.

"No, it's cool. It's for the best."

Once again, everyone was silent. They all knew it wasn't for the best. Not for Finn, anyway. 

"How about we talk about the people who are here?"

"Yeah! And speaking of, Kurt you didn't tell us you were coming back for Thanksgiving!" Mercedes beamed at him over the table, finally letting go of the boys' hands. 

Kurt looked around at the smiling faces around him (though Finn was less smiley) and mustered up as much happiness he could. 

"Oh, yeah. I didn't really know I was coming back either. I mean, not until two days ago. I just really missed you guys, my Dad..."

While everyone continued smiling around him, he felt his smile falter a bit, and hoped no one noticed. Santana narrowed her eyes at him and tilted her head, definitely picking up his unusual behaviour. If she did notice, she didn't say anything and instead turned to Quinn.

"So Quinn. Yale, huh? How's that?"

Quinn smiled and talked about her main priority being her grades, and how she was tapped for the only female secret society club. They all cheered (not even Kurt could be unhappy about her news). Then, Finn spoke up again.

"Hey guys, I have a favour to ask. Would you guys mind mentoring the new kids of the New Directions? It's would be a great opportunity, and I would pay you but I don't earn a wage myself, so..."

"It's okay, Finn. We'd be happy to help." Quinn said, smiling around the group. Kurt noticed how much she had changed since Yale. 

"Do you have any dancers?" Mike asked, shimmying his shoulders and grinning at Finn.

"Oh, yeah. There's this kid. Ryder. He's on the football team, and he does these epic victory dances. I was thinking for Sectionals, we could--"

"Hey guys!"

Everyone at the table looked up to find none other than Tina Cohen-Chang grinning down at them. Of course, she wasn't alone.

Behind her stood (and sat) Sam, Brittany, Artie, Joe, Sugar and, for Christ's sake, Blaine. Blaine, who Kurt vowed to avoid. He knew it wouldn't last long, since he was now apparently helping mentor some of the new kids. But he hoped he would at least get at day to compose himself and his thoughts before facing his ex again. 

Blaine was staring right at him, soft smile, doe eyes, and all. Surely, he knew there was no chance for them. Not anymore. 

Kurt couldn't do this. Not today, of all days. 

"Oh, hey. W-what are you doing here?" Finn asked. He sounded genuinely suprised. So that got rid of the sneaking suspicion Kurt ad that Finn had invited them too.

"Blaine said a "certain someone" he _had_ to see was back in t--" Brittany began. She emphasised and placed air quotes around "certain someone", like she couldn't, for the life of her, begin to imagine who she was talking about. She probaby couldn't; she was Brittany S. Pierce after all. The others certainly did. 

She was stopped by Blaine, who stepped forwards and finished.

"That a certain group of _people_ _we_ had to see were back in town, of course!" 

Quinn, bless her, nodded along, honestly trying (or wanting) to believe his story. Kurt noticed.how Blaine's eyes were no longer on him, like he was deliberately avoiding him. 

Instead of letting himself dwell on Blaine, Kurt looked around at the reactions of his fellow McKinley alumni. 

For a brief second, Santana rose to greet Brittany and beamed. In an instant, the spark fell from her eyes and her smile dipped, as she remembered the break-up. Tina and Mike were engaged in an intense staring competition. Kurt couldn't tell whether they were being affectionate or aggressive. Mercedes' eyes flickered up to Sam, who was watching her intently, then back down to her plate of tots.

Feeling suddenly courageous, Kurt braved another glance at Blaine. His eyes were studying his again, pleading silently for Kurt to give him attention. Oh, that was not gonna happen.

"Can we join you?" Blaine asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet and smiling awkwardly. Last year, Kurt may have found that cute. 

"Oh... yeah, sure, I guess," Finn shrugged. God, that boy was so naive sometimes it was ridiculous.

People moved from table to table, wanting to sit with former friends, or old flames, or exes. Kurt stated rooted to his seat as everyone around him, apart from Santana, moved to the table next to them. To be fair, Santana probably didn't realise everybody had moved; she was busy staring holes into Brittany and Sam's intertwined hands.

Kurt was too busy watching everyone move away to notice who was moving _closer_. Tina, eyes narrowed and glaring at Kurt for some reason, slid into the seat next to him, with Blaine taking the place next to her. Santana was stuck next to Brittany and Sam, who were chatting endlessly about Turkish Delight and sandals, of all things. 

"Hey Santana." Tina chimed cheerily, her vvoice unusually bright and chipper. Not that Santana noticed.

"Kurt," she added, turning her glare back to Kurt, who was beyond confused about what he did for her to be this hostile toward him. 

This was going to be a long night.


	4. The End Of Klaine As We Know It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We pick up where we left off with the Breadstix meeting :) 
> 
> (More Sebastian action next week)

Kurt would do anything to just disappear. Literally anything, you just name it. He would rather sit through a whole football match with Finn and his father than be here. He would rather rejoin the football team rather than be here. He would rather get footballs _booted_ at him than be here. Funny how most of the scenarios were football related. But this was serious.

Because at the corner of his eye, he could still see Tina and Blaine watching him. Well, Blaine was watching him like him like a hawk, the look complete with his wounded puppy-eyes. Tina was flat out just glaring openly and baring her teeth at him. If Kurt wasn't careful, she would tear and chew him up in seconds.

Or worse, his jacket. 

Across the table, Santana was staring down at her lap, stuck in the (nearly) exact same situation as he. Brittany had her head tilted and was moving her mouth but no sounds came out. Obviously, this was just classic Brittany. Meanwhile, Sam was trying to communicate with Blaine.

Although Kurt couldn't completely see Blaine (who was now facing Sam), he did notice how Sam's abnormaly large lips (it had to be said) kept twitching, his eyebrows were shooting up into his hairline, and his head was slightly jerking in Kurt's direction. How very subtle.

_Say something._

_Just talk. It's not hard. I said it's not hard._

_I'll say something. (Pause) No?_

_Good. Finally._

Kurt was very good at reading lips. He had to admit that it did help that Sam's lips were very noticeable, so the words were clear and distinct. Then, the realisation of what was going on and what Sam was telling Blaine to do quickly dawned on him. But he wasn't quick enough.

"So Kurt." Blaine turned to him, looking past Tina.

Come on. Can't Kurt Hummel just catch a break already? 

"How's New York?"

Kurt wasn't about to go all polite like he would have maybe just a couple months back. Blaine had done wrong. He had hurt Kurt, and it was time he understood that. It was also time he learned and accepted that 'Klaine' or whatever everyone named them (which is still absurd to him) was over. Done. All in the past.

"Good."

The silence that followed spoke a thousand words. Besides Santana and Brittany, everyone had their own reaction to Kurt's response. Tina was somehow glaring harder, jaw set, shoulders stiff. Sam bit the inside of his lip and looked from Blaine, to Kurt, to the floor, then to Mercedes (but Kurt was pretty sure he wasn't meant to see that). Then he did it all again. 

Blaine pressed his lips together, eyes flicking from the floor to Kurt, back and forth. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. His eyebrows were knit together, first in hurt, then in something that looked like frustration and annoyance.

Kurt couldn't take it any longer.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom."

He stood up in silence as Blaine and Tina moved from their seats to let him through. Though his back was turned, he could feel Tina watching him He shrugged it off and walked away. At least in the toilet he could have a few moments of privacy to gather his thoughts and figure out a plan on how to avoid Blaine's table and get out of Breadstix without drawing attention to himself. He doubted the bathroom windows were wide enough for him and all his layers to get through, though.

That's when he heard the sound of heels clicking after him. Maybe it was Mercedes, he thought in relief. Perhaps he could start a conversation and casually ask to continue it over on her table. That way, he was free from talking to Blaine again, while also spending time with the most fabulous person he knew. Maybe apart from Isabelle. And Rachel's dance teacher, Ms.July. But Mercedes didn't need to know them.

Excitedly, he turned around, only to be face to face with a very angry Tina Cohen-Chang.

"Who do you think you are?" She asked, hands on her hips.

"E-Excuse me, what?"

"I said who do you think you are?" She repeated, jabbing her finger at Kurt on every word. "You have no right to be doing this to him."

"Doing what to who, exactly?" Oh, Kurt was done. He wasnt taking anymore off anything or anyone. He placed one hand on his cocked out hip, pursing his lips and tilting his head. If Tina wanted to fight, he would fight just as hard. 

"Blaine. He still hurts, you know? After you broke up with him. After what you did to him. He went to New York so happy and excited, and you sent home an empty carcass, broken and bruised. You are so selfish, and even now, you disrespect him and talk to him like that? Blaine Devon Anderson is the kindest, funniest, amazingest, _hottest_ boy I've ever met. If you can't see that, then you don't deserve him. Just don't go putting him down like that just because you're bitter about your own life."

Wow. So that was... that. Kurt blinked and looked back at Tina, who clearly wasn't joking. 

"Oh, how I've missed your insane drama, Tina Cohen-Crazy. Now I'm sure Blaine told you his side of the breakup story. So here's mine. He cheated on me. Simple. That's what happened. And it's none of your business anyway. Now, second--"

"Don't you dare pin this on Blaine. You ran off to New York at the first chance you got. You left him all alone, Kurt! You're a complete jerk!" She interrupted, throwing her hands in the air. 

"No. He _told_ me to go to New York. He said we'd _manage_. Don't start telling me about how my relationship ended, missy, because I have had the worst day and you do not want to push me."

He started walking off back to the table, before a thought struck him. He turned back to Tina.

"And at least I had a relationship with him, right? You're a hag, Tina. You always will be."

It was harsh and not completely true, but she had picked the wrong day to push his buttons. He had to do something. 

He strode back to the table, not even glancing at Blaine as he took his seat. The other table was loud and packed where this one was quiet and lonely. And very awkward. Finally, Kurt decided he would talk to Blaine. They needed to have a few words. 

"You may want to watch what you say around Tina. She jumps to conclusions very quickly."

Blaine, Sam and even Santana turned to look at him in surprise (Brittany was busy brainstorming ways to bust Lord Tubbington out of jail again on a napkin). Kurt locked eyes with Santana, who nodded her head encouragingly, obviously very entertained by what was going on.

"I don't care who knows about our break-up. Just don't blame your own dishonesty in me," Kurt turned from Santana to face a mortified Blaine. He held his glare for a full 30 seconds. Not one of the boys cracked. Kurt only broke away when he knew what he wanted to do.

"I'm leaving. I'll see you all tomorrow."

With that, Kurt rose and walked away from the table, not before winking at Santana and smiling sadly at Sam, and went to find Finn at the other table.

"Finn. I'm leaving. Are you staying here, or--?"

"No its okay, bro. I'll catch you up later."

Finn sounded... _happy_. It had been a long time since Kurt had seen him smile and laugh this much. Then he looked around at his friends on the table, all doubled over in fits of laughter. Kurt missed this: the feeling of belonging and that warmth inside him whenever he was around his friends. They accepted him no matter what, and they always had a good time together. 

Kurt shook himself.

"Okay. Can I have your keys, then?"

Finn tossed them over, nor even looking Kurt's way and bursting into tears at a joke Mercedes made. Kurt smiled as he walked away, the sound of laughter still fresh in his ears even when he made it outside to the cold, dark parking lot.

Maybe that's why he couldn't hear Blaine calling his name behind him. 

"Kurt. Kurt!"

Kurt walked on, hoping and wishing that Blaine would just _get a hint_ and turn around. But as Kurt knew from previous experience, Blaine didn't take no for an answer.

"Kurt, please! I know you can hear me! I just want to talk!"

"That's it." Kurt snapped, turning on his heel and making a direct beeline for Blaine. His ex wasn't going to guilt-trip him into coming back inside, or talking abot their feelings, or getting back together. Not this time. "That is _it._"

"Blaine. I don't know if the gel is finally starting to affect your brain cells, because you still don't know when to stop. I have told you a million times, but I'll say it again. No. We are not getting back together. That's it. So _leave. Me. Alone_." 

"But, Kurt. We're soulmates. We are meant to be together. You told me you'd never leave me. I'm not going to sit around and wait for you to come to your senses. I don't need to be miserable anymore."

Oh, he didn't. Oh, he did not just go there.

"Okay. First off, I don't know where you got that soulmate idea from but it's a load of rubbish. Once upon a time, I may have agreed with you. But things change, and clearly, so do people.

"And don't pull the misery card on me, Blaine. You don't think I've not been miserable? That I've been hating myself? Not for breaking up with you and doing the right thing, but for waltzing back into your arms after everything. After Sebastian, after West Side Story, after Scandals, after Chandler. I've grown up. And now I see that you have taken everything good that's come my way for yourself, and I'm not letting it happen anymore. 

"So call after me all you want. Moan and whinge as much as you want. We're through."

Kurt had a feeling a mic drop gesture would be inappropriate right now, so he refrained from it. Quickly, he turned again and sped to Finn's car, not looking back at Blaine's horrified face. 

When he reached the car, he got in and put his seat belt on before driving to the next street to Beneath The Sheets. There, he pulled over at the side of the road. 

That's when he let the tears fall.

Not for Blaine, or for _finally_ finalising their break-up.

But out of relief, for finally setting himself free. Out of anger, for not seeing it sooner. Out of sadness, for his father. Out of guilt, for not coming back home sooner.

For five minutes, Kurt let himself cry. When those five minutes we up, he dried his eyes and searched for his phone inside his bag. No messages from Carole. 

Looks like it was going to be another long, lonely night for Kurt Hummel.


	5. The Morning After

"Well, you look like hell."

Kurt looked over his shoulder at Sebastian, who was clutching a coffee and walking in the direction of his table.

For a hot second, Kurt scowled, before remembering that Sebastian had changed. And Kurt believed him, which was a sentence Kurt never thought he would say. Instead, he turned back around as Sebastian settled into the seat across from him.

"Tell me something I don't know."

The response was lame, and Sebastian, smirking (though not maliciously), seemed to notice. He raised an eyebrow and even went as far as to switch the smirk for a weak, lopsided, closed-mouth smile. Kurt ignored the questioning look in his eyes in favour of sipping his coffee, the only thing keeping him from falling asleep.

"Well someone had a rough night. Is everything okay?"

This time, Kurt looked directly into Sebastian's eyes, searching for the joke, the punchline, the tell-tale glint. But his eyes were devoid of any rudeness or malice. Kurt just couldn't quite get used to this new Sebastian yet. And, let's be honest, could anyone blame him? 

"Ran into Blaine last night. You can imagine how that went."

"God, I'm sorry. That sounds terrible."

His voice was actually sympathetic and lacked the sarcasm Kurt expected to hear. Kurt knew it would be a while before he could learn to see past his stupid expectations and just see Sebastian Smythe. 

"Onto a different subject," Sebastian moved on swiftly, his voice taking on a chipper note and sitting up (only slightly) straighter. "I'm surprised you haven't noticed my hair yet, considering you're obsession over it the last time we met."

Sebastian smirked at Kurt, who just stared at Sebastian before realising. 

Oh. His hair.

It no longer looked like it had been dunked into a pool of expensive hair gel. There was maybe a bit, but not enough for anyone who wasn't Kurt to notice. It reminded Kurt of Sebastian's hair when they had first met; it was one of the very first things Kurt had noticed about him.

You know, apart from how hot he was (though Kurt would never admit this to anyone) and how the dude was trying to steal his boyfriend. 

"Oh, Sebastian. Wow," Kurt stuttered, returning from his deep thoughts and eyes flickering from his hair to his eyes. 

"You okay there, babe?" Sebastian cocked an eyebrow and smirked. 

Kurt shamefully flushed at the pet name.

"Yeah. Why'd you get rid of it? It suited you, I'm just asking."

"Oh. Maybe you were right." (Kurt grinned at this.) "The look was very Blanderson." 

Sebastian left it at that and barely met Kurt's eyes for at least a minute afterwards. They drank their coffee in silence until Sebastian, thankfully, spoke once more.

"Hey, are you coming to Sectionals?"

Kurt froze. 

To be honest, he didn't know yet. He wanted to be there for his father, but he didn't know if he could survive another surprise encounter with Blaine. Carole still hadn't called back, so Kurt had no way of knowing if his Dad was okay or when he was going to be let out. His calls and texts were unanswered, leaving him stuck again. 

But it was for the best that Kurt stayed for at least another couple of weeks after his father's release, whether it happened tomorrow or next month.

"Yep. Can't say I'm looking forward to it though. My step-brother wants me to mentor one of the kids, and I don't know how long I'm gonna last with Blaine in the room staring at me like a wounded puppy."

Without raising his eyes (now on his coffee) Kurt noticed Sebastian swallow as his eyes darted around the room. Then, something seemed to have suddenly registered and his eyes widened and met Kurt's.

"Wait, did you say you're going to be a mentor?"

"Uh, yeah. Just instill the kids with some show choir wisdom, teach them a couple of techniques. That sort of thing. Nothing major."

"Oh, we're going to lose."

Kurt looked up at Sebastian, who looked genuinely worried. Anxiously, the boy ran a hand through his hair and groan in what sounded a lot like defeat.

"You just realised?" Kurt teased playfully.

Then it occurred to Kurt what he meant, and he kicked himself for being so foolish. 

"Hang on, are the Warblers competing too?"

"Yeah. We might as well drop out now, since you're a mentor."

Kurt raised his eyebrows at the compliment, not quite sure what Sebastian's angle was here.

"W-What do you mean?"

"I mean," Sebastian scoffed and looked at him incredulously. "You have a voice that's to die for. There's a record of all the performances the Warblers have performed over the years, and your Blackbird was amazing. I never even knew you could sing like that."

Sebastian was gushing now, and Kurt was turning a bright shade of red. 

"I remember you once told me to 'quit singing altogether for the sake of America and those few imbeciles who still listen to show tunes'." 

That last bit was a direct quote from the pre-Karofsky-Sebastian Smythe era.

"As cliché and stupid as it sounds, and as much as it pains me to admit it, friends or not, I was jealous."

Kurt smirked gleefully, but his smirk looked more like a sloppy half-grin, but he didn't care at this point. And did Sebastian really refer to them as friends? Was this really happening? First Kurt's voice was 'to die for' and now they were friends? 

"Oh. T-thanks. It's nothing important, though, just helping out a bit," Kurt shrugged.

Sebastian clearly doubted that, and raised an eyebrow but didn't comment further. 

"You know, actually, we might stand a chance."

Cocky Sebastian was back, and Kurt was feeling playful. 

"Oh really? You just complimented your enemy and admitted your fear of defeat." 

"Yeah, well, you're not my enemy anymore, show-choir wise or personally. And you're not actually on the New Directions. We could still have this victory."

"I still influence the team and a couple of days is long enough to train the new kids to be as good as I."

"Ha! You wish, babe. May the best show choir win," Sebastian stuck out his hand to Kurt, who dismissed it and grabbed his coffee instead.

"Oh we will."

Sebastian grinned at him like an idiot, and Kurt was smiling so hard (but so genuinely) his cheeks were already aching. God, when was the last time he smiled like this?

That's when he remembered the quetion he needed to ask Sebastian.

Kurt cleared his throat.

"Um, how did you know about my father?" Kurt spoke solemnly as the smile dropped entirely and he fiddled with the lid of his coffee cup.

"Sorry?" Sebastian was still grinning, though it began to falter when he saw the look on Kurt's face. 

"How did you know about my dad's cancer?"

It was Sebastian's turn to freeze and tense up. He bit his lip awkwardly and looked down, ocassionally sneaking looks at Kurt. 

"Uh, our fathers work together sometimes, and there was this big conference meeting or something. Burt-- I mean, your father wasn't feeling too good, apparently, and was taken for a check-up. That's when they found it, I guess." 

Throughout the story, Sebastian's head was hung over his coffee, heavy with sorrow and sympathy. After a minute, when he was able to, he raised his eyes to Kurt and gaped stupidly and helplessly. 

The boy in front of him was looking past Sebastian at the wall while a single tear ran down his cheek. God, Sebastian wanted to lean over and wipe it away then and there, but he knew that him doing so would add to Kurt's confusion and emotions. That was the last thing he wanted. 

Instead, he settled for grasping his hand over the table and squeezing it softly but reassuringly.

Kurt looked at Sebastian again, and _really looked._ Every past expectation and stereotype Kurt had about Sebastian had shattered before his very eyes. It was like something had clicked within him and all memories of Sebastian's past was forgotten. Not forgotten, of course, but almost forgiven. 

"Thank you, Sebastian."

Despite his cluelessness as to what he was being thanked for, Sebastian smiled and nodded, giving Kurt's hand a squeeze. His and Kurt's eyes were still on each other. 

And maybe that's when Kurt realised what was going on. 

His eyes widened as he raised his free wrist to check the time. 

"I have to go. Finn won't be happy with me if I'm late."

He was still holding Sebastian's hand. 

"Oh, yeah, of course. Sorry."

He was still holding Kurt's hand. 

"Um."

They were still holding each other's hand.

As if it were scripted, both boys pulled their hands away simultaneously, busying themselves with bags and blazers and what-not. After that, they barely looked at each other. Kurt was ready first, and stood behind his chair as he waited for Sebastian. 

"Well I should be going now."

Sebastian looked up from his position on the floor, tying his shoelaces. What Kurt had said just registered and he stood up. A little too quickly, maybe, as his knee collided with the metal leg of his chair. He winced and waved off Kurt's worries and offerings to help. Eventually, he manged to stand up straight again.

"I'll see you whenever, then." He smirked, trying to regain a bit of his Smythe smoothness that usually came so easy for him.

Kurt laughed and turned to leave, flashing a genuine smile in Sebastian's direction.

"See you whenever."

When Kurt was put of sight, Sebastian physically kicked himself.

'See you whenever'? _Really_? And what was with the holding hands thing? And why did it feel nice? Oh, and since when was he so clumsy? He was captain of the Lacrosse team, for god's sake!

The questions followed him around for the rest of the day, even during Warbler practice. Whatever the answer was, Sebastian didn't need it happening again.


End file.
